FA propose a new League 3 for B teams and top Conference Premier teams to integrate into for the 16-17 season, along with other ways of helping English talent develop.
Full FA report:
http://t.co/xS1nAOcU4bB Team is in section 4.2
Key elements of the proposal:
All Premier League clubs at the start of the 2015-16 season would be eligible
for a B team to be playing in the lower leagues in 2016-17.
It would be up to each individual club to decide whether or not it wanted one.
B teams would play in stadia, most likely a small stadium built expressly for
the purpose or at a nearby lower league club’s stadium shared in return for
investment in improved pitch and facilities.
Space for these clubs would be made primarily through the creation of a new
League 3 within the Football League in 2016-17.
This division would initially be made up of 20 clubs of which up to ten would be Premier League B teams
and the other ten places would be taken by the top teams from the Conference Premier.
By creating spaces within the current footballing pyramid, no clubs would be
displaced by this system.
There could be a later option of enlarging the new League 3 to 24 teams,
depending on the number of Premier League clubs that eventually wanted
or became eligible for a B team.
Should more than ten Premier League clubs want and be eligible for a B team
in 2016-17, further B teams would initially play in the Conference Premier in
that season.
There would be promotion and relegation between the four leagues – League
1, League 2, League 3 and Conference Premier.
B teams would be unable to progress into the Championship and must always be at least one division
below the senior team.
The reorganisation of the league system could allow the introduction of a
universal three up, three down approach across all four leagues. It could also
allow a reduction in league size, if that were desired.
B teams would not be able to play in The FA or League cups butt it may make
sense for them to be able to play in an enlarged Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
B teams playing in the Football League or the Conference would not be voting
members of those leagues. They will be associate members only.
The eventual structure and distribution of B teams would clearly be a decision
for the clubs in the Football League and the Conference.